Jasper's Descent
by jaspershero16
Summary: Jasper has just poofed the two gems in the mountains and returned to her lair. She realizes that if she makes this decision, she cannot go back. This causes her to think back on the times she shared with Rose Quartz and reflect on the relationship she has with her now, although she does not understand why Rose is hiding herself in this weak form.
1. Chapter 1

Jasper's Descent

 **Chapter 1**

" _My Jasper", a soft, calm voice cooed, "Without you, I would be lost on this planet. It is so large and yet, I feel every inch of it closing in on me. The others feel I have too much of a soft spot for it, but…Oh no! They're attacking! JASPER!"_

Jasper's eyes darted open to avoid being attacked by the sounds of shattering. She can't bear it again. She leans forward in her chair and realizes she dozed off. Again. She can't understand why she's been so tired lately. She's never needed rest before. No more than a gem of her caliber would require. As she sits on the edge of her seat to collect herself, she attempts to process the events of the past few days. "I don't understand why she looks like that", she thinks aloud. Jasper can't figure out why the mighty Rose Quartz would choose such a lowly form and abandon the famous stature of a Quartz soldier.

"It has to be that Pearl. That lost, defective Pearl made her change her physical form. She probably thought it would erase what she did to our Diamond." Jasper had always respected Rose Quartz. She was the only gem who could stand toe-to-toe with her and give her an actual fight. There were rumors that Rose had been shattered, permanently retreated into her gem, or even defected from her precious Crystal Gem. Jasper thought back on the last encounter she had with Rose Quartz.

"You will not win this war Jasper", Rose Quartz stated as she held her sword and caught her breath. The 8-foot tall Quartz soldier seemed to show no sign of fatigue, yet it was obvious she and Jasper were matched in ability.

"Oh please. You've said the same thing for 5,000 years and here we are. Still fighting the same fight with you and your band of misfits using every tactic you have to stall the inevitable. As strong as you are Rose, even you can't stop the great Diamond Authority, only inconvenience it.", Jasper responded with her head held high.

Rose's face changed as she whispered "I've done it before, I can do it again. Remember Pink…"

"HOW DARE YOU!" Before Jasper knew it, she had Rose Quartz, the infamous leader of the Crystal Gem rebellion, hemmed against a wall. "You cannot and will not utter the name of a perfect being. You do not deserve to even think her name, let alone say it."

After what Rose Quartz had done to their Diamond, this statement filled Jasper with a rage she had never felt. She could hardly believe that this moment even needed to happen. She and Rose had been Pink Diamond's top two soldiers. Jasper always knew that Rose was their Diamond's favorite, but she didn't care. Her only mission in her life was to make her Diamond proud, that was all she needed.

"I know what she meant to you", Rose uttered, "She once meant the same to me. I followed her blindly and only questioned her when necessary. And then something changed. I saw the beauty in this planet and realized that she should not be allowed to colonize it. The organisms on this planet are sentient, Jasper. They need resources as we do. They may not be able to change their forms, but they have the unique ability to change their destiny. That is something you will never understand."

Jasper could hardly believe that Rose was defending such a weak race and using them to validate what she had done. Before Jasper knew it, she was landing blow after blow onto every inch of Rose's massive being. "FIGHT ME!" Jasper screamed as her fist shook in the air. "No. It would hinder you from feeling what you feel. Your fight is not with me, Jasper. You have emotions that need to be dealt with and I am not going to stop you." At this moment, Jasper realized that she had not gotten the upper hand, this closeness had been granted to her.

"There are gems who would shatter leagues of others to be this close to you. They would kill to be able to shatter the #1 traitor of home world.", Jasper said as she gritted her teeth. "Go ahead then.", the leader of the Crystal Gems stated. "If you feel it necessary to complete your healing, go ahead."

"STOP YOUR GAMES ROSE! This has always been your downfall. You spend too much time focused on how others feel instead of looking at the bigger picture! Would you truly sacrifice yourself just to prove a point to me?!" Jasper was at her wit's end and could take no more of the Gem leader's words.

"Jasper, this is what stops YOU from being a true leader." Rose's shield materialized from her gemstone and knocked Jasper from one side of the field where they stood to the other. "Being a leader, a true leader, does not mean that you know simply when to eliminate others. It means that you know how to evaluate what is best for those that look up to you. You know that every move you make can ripple through the lives of millions. You shattering me could have many outcomes, but I believe it would make you see that you have more power than you think."

Jasper couldn't understand what she meant by this. Was she actually implying that Jasper might feel remorse or even feel free by shattering her?

"I've had enough of your games traitor."

The two mighty soldiers jumped as high as they could and lunged. Rose Quartz's might sword and shield met with the impervious helmet Jasper wore with the full strength of the two Quartz soldiers behind them!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

As Jasper collects her thoughts, her communicator begins to buzz. She ignores it as she has been doing for the past few weeks. Yellow Diamond, to whom she was assigned after Pink Diamond's assassination, has been trying to contact her. Jasper knows that what she is doing could mean the ultimate punishment.

"She can't stop this.", Jasper says aloud while pacing. "It has to happen. I can't continue to allow a defective Pearl, a miniature Quartz, and an abomination against all gemkind to beat me. How can a fusion, A FUSION, defeat ME? Are they really that strong? Or am I really that weak?" Jasper had been dealing with what she assumed to be emotions ever since being defeated by the fusion called Garnet. How could a lowly Ruby and a Sapphire, whose role was nothing more than that of an 8-ball, become strong enough to defeat a Quartz soldier? It was mystifying.

As Jasper pondered her defeat at the hands of a fusion, her mind wondered to Rose Quartz. She had seen her gem and her shield. She could recognize it in her sleep. Sleep. The second enemy Jasper had been fighting lately. She didn't know why, but she kept getting the urge to "rest". She couldn't make herself do it though. Rest was for weak gems and the humans they defended. Suddenly, she thought back to a time with her precious Diamond.

"My Jasper, you must rest.", Pink Diamond stated in a concerned voice. "I cannot rest my Diamond. Your safety is more important than any rest I may need. Besides, there have been rumors that the Crusted Blemishes, or whatever they're called, may plan an attack."

"Oh my Jasper, you must rest. Without rest, you are no good to any of us."

Pink Diamond always had a way of making Jasper feel like she was the only gem in the world. Jasper had been part of a study conducted on humans and learned that they had something called a "mother". From what she understood, "mothers" underwent a process called "birth" to bring another human into the world. This concept was lost on gems as they were created in the ground and burst forth fully formed. Apparently, humans were born in a much smaller form and grew into a bigger form as time goes on. The gems of home world became interested in this process because it only took 9 months, whereas growing a gem could take hundreds or thousands of years. They learned that humans would do anything to protect their "mothers". She could only imagine that her Diamond was as close to a "mother" as she would ever get.

"My Diamond, I appreciate everything that you have to say, but with all due respect, rest is the last thing on my mind. I must make sure that everything your protection is our main concern. Especially with _her_ lurking around." Pink Diamond understood how Jasper felt. She comforted Jasper by saying "Jasper, just because she defected, doesn't mean that she never existed. However, her betrayal showed me just who was there for me and who I can truly trust."

Although Jasper had always been indifferent to Rose's status as their Diamond's favorite, when Rose defected, she felt a sense of importance almost. She felt that now she could truly show her Diamond just how loyal she has always been. She did not know what this feeling was, but she knew that it felt good to be in the spotlight.

"Jasper, I am going to rest now and I advise that you do the same. Pearl, take Jasper to my secondary chambers to rest." A Pearl with a brilliant pink tone appeared. "Yes, my Diamond. As you wish." The Pearl motioned for Jasper to follow her. Jasper did not agree with leaving her Diamond, but knew that she had an army of Amethysts and the famous Ruby team guarding her.

The Pink Pearl led Jasper to the quarters. As they walked, Jasper asked Pearl a question. "Pearl, can I ask you something?" The Pearl was puzzled by being addressed by such a high ranking official. Timidly, she responded "Yes ma'am?". "What did you think of Rose Quartz and her Pearl?". The Pearl stopped in her tracks and faced Jasper. She firmly stated, "I have no thoughts towards the Quartz soldier. She is a traitor who should be shattered for her treachery. As for her Pearl, I do not understand what could make a Pearl decide to go against the one responsible for her very creation." Jasper was understandably shocked by her admission. Any gem worth their minerals knows that Pearls are not exactly known for expressing what was on their minds. The only exceptions were Rose Quartz's renegade Pearl and Yellow Pearl. Jasper shuddered at the mere thought of Yellow Pearl. She imagined she would shatter herself if she was ever assigned to Yellow Diamond and her self-righteous Yellow Pearl.

The Pearl continued down the hall as Jasper apologized for upsetting her. "I am not upset Miss Jasper. I simply do not wish to waste time of my existence discussing gems who do not understand loyalty and wish to go against the plan that gives meaning to their very being." Jasper knew that Pearl guarded all of Pink Diamond's most precious secrets. This made her a very important part of Pink Diamond's inner circle, and the deadliest member as well.

Jasper reminisced on the day her Diamond told her to rest. She felt happy and almost sane. Before she knew it, she had leaned back in her chair and started to rest. Just as her Diamond instructed. As she drifted to sleep, she whispered "Yes my Diamond. As you wish…"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Jasper woke up and stretched. She could finally see the benefits of resting. She felt like a new gem. Although her body was alert, her mind still raced.

She looked over at the corrupted gems she had gathered earlier. She couldn't believe that such powerful gems could be reduced to such a monstrous form. Jasper had not known them personally, but knew that they were close allies of Rose Quartz and part of the Crystal Gems. Jasper had fought them before and knew that they were as strong as they come. She almost wondered what would happen if she just…no, she couldn't think like that. Fusions are disgusting and only provide a way for weak gems to get stronger.

"Even if I did fuse with them, they probably wouldn't stay. No one stays.", Jasper thought to herself as she sat in her chair staring at the gems.

Jasper could not believe that Rose had not even acknowledged the gems when taunted with their gemstones. When Jasper forced Rose to look at them, she was unable to understand why Rose wasn't more interested in them being held captive. Rose almost seemed as if she didn't know who they were. That led to a bigger question in Jasper's mind.

"WHY WON'T SHE REVEAL HERSELF?!" Jasper was still having a hard time grasping the fact that Rose would changer her form to such a weak being. She knew that Rose saw humans as such "wonderful creatures", but why change your physical form to match them? It made no sense. She wouldn't even reveal herself for Bubble and Rocky. She had no idea how she even knew those nicknames for them. She wracked her brain trying to remember why she would ever know their names. Suddenly, she remembers back to when Bubble and Rocky protected Rose with their lives.

"Leave this place!", Rocky shouted as she moved in front of Rose Quartz. Even for a jasper type gem, Rocky was quite large and intimidating. Her light and dark brown complexion perfectly matched her fearless attitude. "You will leave now and never return.", commanded Bubble. She was a large jasper type gym as well that matched Rocky in height. Jasper, who was never intimidated, had to look up to speak to them. She had never had to do so unless she addressed her Diamond.

"There are two ways this can go.", Jasper stated calmly as stared the soldiers in their eyes, "Either you can move and let me have her, or I can destroy you two and get to her. It's your choice really."

As the two soldiers drew their weapons in preparation for a fight, a voice spoke to them. "Rocky, Bubble, put down your weapons." Bubble and Rocky looked concerned and confused. "But ma'am, you heard her. She….". "No!", Rose responded in a louder tone. "You two are my strongest generals, but I command that you stop."

"Just like you Rose, giving others comfort even when you give them orders. Who exactly do you think you are? Even now, you leave yourself defenseless just to prove something to me! There is NOTHING you can say to me Rose. I will not let this opportunity pass me by!"

Jasper lunged at Rose Quartz, who did not move but stood still and waited. As Jasper closed in, Rose lifted her hand and a large, pink bubble surrounded her. The bubble sent Jasper flying back with all the intensity with which she had attacked the pink Quartz. Bubble and Rocky were amazed by the abilities their leader held. Even they, two of her closest friends and bodyguards, had no idea she possessed this ability.

"Jasper, your problem is that you do not understand control. You are a brilliant strategist and an excellent fighter, but you have never known when to be patient."

"NO! Not this time! After what you did, you won't stand there and try to treat me like a problem that has to be solved. You are a traitorous, defective, lowly excuse for a gem. She was perfect. She was everything. She was MINE!"

As Rose stared at the broken gem in front of her, she could think of nothing to say. Her face showed a mixture of remorse and regret, yet she stood by her decision. She could not find the words and simply exclaimed, "Rocky, Bubble, we're leaving now."

Jasper didn't know what was wrong with her. Why couldn't she go after her? Why did she feel so empty and lost? She sat there, leaned over, while Rose and her guards left.

Sitting on the edge of her chair, she thought, "I know she remembers them. She must remember them. But I'll be the one to show her their true power."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Jasper paces around the large room of her lair. It was once full of movement and now is only filled with silence. There was a time when the silence would have provided her peace, now it only gave her time to think. She smirks as she remembers the Peridot that went on and on about her precious computers. Even though she was an Era 2 Peridot, which meant she lacked the powers and physical prowess of an Era 1 model, Jasper had to admit that she was amazing at what she did. The small, egocentric Peridot could hack any mainframe she was presented with and was loyal to her Diamond, almost to a fault. She thinks back on how many times she had to command Peridot to stop speaking, in the name of her precious Yellow Diamond.

And the Rubies. Jasper can't even bring herself to think about those loud mouth little runts. A more useless cut of gems had never been created. As useless as they were individually, they were a force to be reckoned with when they fused. The fact that they had to fuse for power disgusted Jasper. Not all fusions disgust her though. Some fusions have a purpose and are created with precise intentions. She knew the adrenaline rush and power surge you feel when you fuse.

She couldn't believe that she was actually thinking about this. She always thought fusion was for weak gems who didn't measure up to a gem like her. Until her first time…..

"This is amazing." Jasper couldn't begin to express the strength that coursed through her body as she formed Malachite. She understood why those sorry excuses for gems were always clamoring to fuse with other inferior gems. "I can finally crush them and get my revenge! I can't believe it, I can actually beat these fools at their own game!"

The fusion granted her access to Lapis Lazuli's full set of powers. She could not believe that she now had full control over water. It was exhilarating to fight with a weapon she didn't have to drain herself to use. As Jasper reveled in her newfound power, she lifted her hand to crush the Crystal Gems and finally defeat Rose Quartz once and for all! As she laughed and aimed her tower of water at the weaklings beneath her, she realized her hand was being restrained. In her confusion, she realized that the Lapis she fused with was pulling her down. The Lapis spoke about not being a victim anymore as she dragged the newly formed Malachite down into the water. She realized the Lapis had done this on purpose to save the Crystal Gems. Even at her strongest, she still was not able to defeat the loyalty Rose Quartz garnered from others. Rose had taken the form of a tiny human and now had a weaker gem fighting her battles. Only this time, it was personal. The gem had not fought Jasper as the renegade Pearl had years earlier, she fused with Jasper with the purpose of stopping her. She had been blindsided. She couldn't believe she had sunk so low as to let the enemy come from within.

Jasper would never forget how she felt that day. She felt a horribly confusing mixture of anger and disappointment. She couldn't believe it. Someone was finally this close, only to betray her. When she unfused from this traitorous Lapis, she swore she would never do it again. But she found herself being drawn to the power that came with fusion. It didn't hurt that she finally felt like someone wanted to be with her. She should've known better. Connection is for the weak. She was not weak.

"Of course no one wants to fuse with me.", Jasper told herself with a longing look. "They can't handle the sheer strength and power of a real and true Quartz soldier. I would be afraid to give in to someone as strong as me if I were in their shoes."

She knew she couldn't fool herself anymore. She didn't know why no one wanted to fuse with her, she only knew that they didn't. Her entire life had been spent alone filled with attempt after attempt to prove that she truly was the best as her Diamond always told her. She knew that she was special. She was the only one out of the Beta Kindergarten that had access to ALL of the resources available. The rest had come out like the undercooked Amethyst that followed Rose. She knew she was better than them, but couldn't figure out why no one would want to surround themselves with her greatness. The only thing she ever wanted was someone to share her victories with. She had it once, but Rose took it from her.

Jasper stared at the two corrupted gems on the arms of her chair.

"What's so special about these Jaspers that made people like them? They're not unique. They were made from the same materials as me, came out at the same time as me, and were created with the same purpose as me. Why am I the odd gem out?"

Jasper grasped the gems in her hand. She looked at them with eyes filled with rage and screamed, "Let's see how YOU like being alone when you come out of those corrupted gems of yours!"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Jasper went to the site of her creation, The Beta Kindergarten. She had been there for weeks creating holding cells for the gems she was hunting. She couldn't figure out if it was more like a prison or a zoo. They both shared the same qualities in her eyes: cramped, dirty, and full of creatures no one else wanted the responsibility of taking care of.

"It's time". Jasper placed each of the gems in holding cells. As she brought down the iron bars, the corrupted gems emerged from their gemstones. Obviously in a state of confusion and fear, they reared up and attempted to break free of the prison.

"Try all you want!", Jasper sneered. "Those bars are made from pure iron! Even you can't break them!"

Jasper stood in the center of the open canyon that had once been a breeding ground for gems. She looked around at the litany of corrupted gems that she had been collecting. She knew that if she could just harness the raw power of these corrupted gems and get them to fuse, she would finally show Rose who was the strongest.

As Jasper looked around at the gems on display in her prison, she thought of the human zoo her Diamond kept.

"Why would you want to keep these disgusting, weak creatures and put them out for everyone to see?", Jasper asked with a puzzled look on her face. Pink Diamond became thoughtful and wanted to respond to her Jasper perfectly. "They might be disgusting to you, but they interest me. It amazes me how creatures with such limited lifespans can affect everything that they touch. They are so small and soft, but they possess so much power."

"Power?", Jasper asked, "What power can they possibly possess? Even you said that they are small and soft."

"Jasper." Pink Diamond cooed as she cusped the Quartz Soldier's face, "You have so much to learn about power. Being powerful doesn't always mean that you are the strongest or that you have the most advanced weaponry. Sometimes being powerful means that you know how to adapt to the situation at hand. It means that you know that things aren't always as black and white as they seem and you know how to move forward. My Jasper, you have to have the foresight of a Sapphire, the determination of a Ruby, the intellect of a Peridot, and the strength of a Quartz. Separately, these skills benefit you in certain ways, but together they can create something so much more. You have to know that adaptability is the strongest measure of strength one can possess. You have to learn that you don't write one long chapter Jasper. Every chapter has to end to create a beautifully and intricately written book."

Those words still ring in Jasper's ears. She knew was the strongest and her Diamond had even told her so. Why would she need to change herself just because these weak gems used fusion as their only means of power?

Suddenly, Jasper hears a noise. As she turns around, she sees Rose Quartz and her band of misfits…

 **At this point, the events of the episode "Earthlings" unfold and ultimately leads to Jasper's corruption by her own doing. She forces a corrupted gem to fuse with her and afterwards, Steven attempts to heal her.**

"Jasper, let me help you!", Steven screams.

"I can't. I can't let this happen. After all of this time, how can I be at Rose Quartz's mercy?!", Jasper thinks to herself as she looks down and sees the blue corruption spreading slowly up her arm into the rest of her body.

Jasper says that Rose only wants gems that she sees as being at their lowest so that she can make them feel better. Then she says that she would never follow Rose. Jasper states that she has had to fight since the day she emerged from the Earth's crust because of what Rose did to her colony, her planet and their Diamond. Steven thinks she means Yellow Diamond. Jasper has to clarify that she means Pink Diamond.

"It's really not her.", she thinks as she clarifies that it was Pink Diamond she was referring to. Jasper finally understood that Rose was truly gone and this being in front of her was an entirely new being. Why would Rose give herself up for this? Why would she change who she was?

As the corruption spread, Jasper realized that was what Pink Diamond meant. This was the adaptability she cherished so. This was why Rose was her favorite. Rose understood that she needed to change in order to move forward. She looked at Steven and thought "Is he the meaning of true power?"

The corruption moved from Jasper's body into her mind. As she began to lose her ability to think clearly, Pink Diamond's face flashed before Jasper's eyes. She felt peace seeing her Diamond one last time. Her mind began to twist and Pink Diamond's face began to disappear as she whispered, "Rest now Jasper."

"I will. I finally understand. My Diamond…"


End file.
